LET'S BEGIN.
BRING HIM IN.
Episode 31
OH MY, LOOK AT HIM...
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?
FIRST YOU CRASH MY SHIP OUT OF NOWHERE, AND THEN YOU SUDDENLY PUT ME ON TRIAL BEFORE A MILITARY COURT?
HA! WHAT A CIRCUS.
ON WHAT CHARGES ARE YOU--
EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED, COMMANDER.
THREE DAYS AGO,
I WENT FISHING AT PORT FORTMEIER WITH COUNT BOUVEHAL.
WE WEREN'T GETTING ANY BITES, SO WE TOOK A BOAT OUT TO SEA.
OOH!
A DOUBLE RAINBOW!
IT'S BEAUTIFUL!
WE WERE STANDING ON THE BOAT'S DECK WHEN A DOUBLE RAINBOW APPEARED, AND EVERYONE ON BOARD BECAME DISTRACTED.
IT WAS IN THAT MOMENT THAT WE ACCIDENTALLY,
VERY,
VERY,
VERY UNFORTUNATELY,
COLLIDED WITH A MERCHANT VESSEL.
WHAT? AN ACCIDENT?!
DUMBSTRUCK
HOWEVER, QUITE ASTONISHINGLY AND PURELY BY COINCIDENCE,
DUKE WHEATON HAPPENED TO BE ON THAT SHIP.
AND WHAT WAS EVEN MORE SURPRISING...
...WAS THAT ANOTHER VESSEL WAS NEARBY.
WHAT KIND OF VESSEL?
IT BORE NO MARKINGS, SO I CANNOT SAY FOR CERTAIN, BUT ABOARD THAT SHIP...
...WAS THE EMPIRE'S REGENT, CROWN PRINCE ALEJANDRO.
THE EMPIRE'S CROWN PRINCE?
HE MET WITH THE EMPIRE, WHICH COULD INVADE PHARNAS AT ANY MOMENT?
IF IT WAS A SECRET MEETING ON AN UNMARKED SHIP...
THAT’S CLEARLY ESPIONAGE.
THE CROWN PRINCE APPEARED QUITE STARTLED AS WELL.
THE IMPERIAL SOLDIERS ALL DREW THEIR WEAPONS,
SHOUTING THAT THE MEETING HAD BEEN AN AMBUSH IN DISGUISE.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE CROWN PRINCE?
I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND OFFERED COMPENSATION.
AFTER THAT, HE LEFT WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUE.
IT’S A FORTUNATE OUTCOME, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
COUNT BOUVEHAL, IS THE COMMANDER'S ACCOUNT ACCURATE?
WITNESS STAND
DEATH GLARE
IT IS. EVERY WORD IS TRUE.
THIS CONCLUDES THE ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT AND THE WITNESS TESTIMONY.
"COINCIDENCE"? HAH... HOW UTTERLY PREPOSTEROUS.
SO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE...
...THE COMMANDER JUST HAPPENED TO SINK MY SHIP...
...AND JUST HAPPENED TO WITNESS MY MEETING WITH THE CROWN PRINCE, PURELY BY COINCIDENCE?
IMPOSSIBLE!
THIS WAS A TRAP FROM THE VERY BEGINNING TO FRAME ME!
IF IT'S ALL COINCIDENCE,
THEN WHAT IF THE CROWN PRINCE JUST HAPPENED TO BE PASSING THROUGH THOSE WATERS TOO?!
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROOF I WAS THERE TO MEET HIM?!
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROOF I'M A SPY?!
YOU ALL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT WOMAN IS PLOTTING BEHIND THE SCENES.
WHO'S TO SAY SHE DIDN'T ALREADY COLLUDE WITH COUNT BOUVEHAL?
THINKING BACK, SOMETHING FELT OFF FROM THE MOMENT SHE TOYED WITH ME OVER THE DUCHY.
IS SHE PLANNING TO PURGE EVERYONE EXCEPT THE NOBLES SHE PERSONALLY FAVORS?
IF YOU'RE ACCUSING AN INNOCENT MAN LIKE ME,
THEN WHO'S NEXT?!
HE HAS A POINT.
LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED WITH DUKE KIEL.
WELL, COUNT BOULVEHAL DOES HAVE TIES TO HOUSE HEIBERGH...
THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF BIAS HERE...
WE NEED TO ASSESS THIS OBJECTIVELY.
IT'S WORKING.
THOSE WHO CLAIM NEUTRALITY OR ONCE STOOD WITH ME MUST BE AFRAID.
THEY THINK THEY'RE NEXT.
ALL I HAVE TO DO IS INSIST ON MY INNOCENCE!
VAUGHN WHEATON.
ARE YOU CLAIMING THAT I AM DIVIDING FACTIONS...
...AND FALSELY ACCUSING AN INNOCENT MAN?
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M SAYING. WILL YOU DENY IT?
NO, BECAUSE YOUR ARGUMENT DOES HAVE MERIT.
THIS IS GOING EXACTLY AS PLANNED.
THANK YOU FOR PLAYING YOUR PART, WHEATON.
I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE BEST TO BRING IN SOMEONE WHO STANDS BETWEEN BOTH SIDES...
...AND HAVE THEM JUDGE THIS MATTER.
WHAT? WHO WOULD EVEN--
BRING HIM IN.
DUKE KIEL?
IS THAT REALLY HIM?
IT APPEARS SO...
IT'S BEEN A WHILE, EVERYONE.
FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, I WILL PRESIDE OVER THE DELIBERATION OF THIS CASE.
DUKE KIEL?!
WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE T--
OH,
SURELY YOU WON'T MISUNDERSTAND.
I WAS MERELY BROUGHT IN BECAUSE THERE IS NO ONE HERE WHO IS WELL-VERSED IN THE LAW.
IS THERE ANYONE MORE SUITED THAN I AM TO ACT AS A NEUTRAL PARTY BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES?
SATISFIED NOW?
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SERVED AS A JUDGE ADVOCATE, ROYAL PRECEPTOR, AND COUNCIL CHAIR,
I WILL STATE ONLY OBJECTIVE FACTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE KINGDOM’S LAW.
IF THERE ARE ANY OBJECTIONS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND!
THE GROUNDS FOR THE ESPIONAGE CHARGE ARE AS FOLLOWS.
FIRST, THE DEFENDANT PREVIOUSLY HAD A CONFLICT WITH QUEEN ARSINOE.
SECOND, HE ATTEMPTED TO SECRETLY CROSS INTO IMPERIAL WATERS.
THIRD, THE INDIVIDUAL WITH WHOM HE HAD HIS CHANCE ENCOUNTER WAS THE EMPIRE'S CROWN PRINCE. THESE STATEMENTS ARE ALL FACTUAL, ARE THEY NOT?
W-WELL...
SETTING ASIDE PERSONAL GRIEVANCES,
ENTERING ANOTHER NATION'S WATERS WITHOUT NOTICE IS ILLEGAL.
HOWEVER, GIVEN YOUR STATUS, IT WOULD AMOUNT TO LITTLE MORE THAN A FINE.
AS FOR THE MEETING WITH THE CROWN PRINCE,
SINCE NO DISCUSSION ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE, IT PRESENTS NO ISSUE.
Y-YES! EXACTLY! I'M INNOCEN--
HOWEVER, THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM.
CONFLICT WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY,
A SECRET MEETING AT THE BORDER,
AND CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY...
THESE ARE ALL FEATURES OF A CASE THE ROYAL FAMILY SAW FIVE YEARS AGO.
IN THAT CASE, THE DEFENDANT WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH.
D...
DEATH?
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE AND THE CULPABILITY OF THE DEFENDANT, VAUGHN WHEATON, ALIGN WITH THAT PRECEDENT.
ACCORDINGLY, UNDER ESTABLISHED CASE LAW,
I RECOMMEND THE DEATH PENALTY.
In Chapter 31 of the Dawn of Vengeance series, Duke Vaughn Wheaton, who is brought before a military tribunal, tries to prove his innocence by claiming he was framed against the espionage charges. However, Wheaton is cornered when Duke Kiel takes over the trial and demands the death penalty, citing the precedent case from five years ago.
